before
be
bÉĒ
bi
fore
ˈfɔ:r
fawr
/bÉĒˈfɔː/

āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ⧇ "before"āĻāϰ āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻž āĻ“ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ

01

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

at an earlier point in time
before definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She had worked in that department before.
02

āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇, āφāϗ⧇

positioned ahead of or in front of a person or object in space
before definition and meaning
Old use
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He stood before, waiting for the others to catch up.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύ, āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝāϰāĻž āϧāϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻ…āĻĒ⧇āĻ•ā§āώāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
01

āφāϗ⧇, āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇

ahead of something else in a sequence or order
before definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Your name is before mine in the phonebook.
āĻĢā§‹āύāĻŦ⧁āϕ⧇ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āύāĻžāĻŽ āφāĻŽāĻžāϰ āύāĻžāĻŽā§‡āϰ āφāϗ⧇ āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤
02

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

at a time earlier than something
before definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He always wakes up before sunrise.
2.1

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

at a specific time prior to the hour indicated on the clock
Dialectamerican flagAmerican
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The event will start five minutes before six.
āχāϭ⧇āĻ¨ā§āϟāϟāĻŋ āĻ›āϝāĻŧāϟāĻžāϰ āĻĒāĻžāρāϚ āĻŽāĻŋāύāĻŋāϟ āφāϗ⧇ āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
03

āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇, āϏāĻŽā§āĻŽā§āϖ⧇

in front of or ahead of something or someone in space
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She stood before the mirror, carefully adjusting her hair.
āϏ⧇ āφāϝāĻŧāύāĻžāϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ, āϏāĻžāĻŦāϧāĻžāύ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āϚ⧁āϞ āĻ āĻŋāĻ• āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
04

āφāϗ⧇, āĻ…āĻ—ā§āϰāĻžāϧāĻŋāĻ•āĻžāϰ

in a position of greater importance or priority relative to something else
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He values honesty before all else.
āϏ⧇ āϏāϤāϤāĻžāϕ⧇ āϏāĻŦāĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁āϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻŽā§‚āĻ˛ā§āϝ āĻĻ⧇āϝāĻŧāĨ¤
4.1

āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤ⧇, āφāϗ⧇

in preference to another option, often implying the alternative is undesirable or unacceptable
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
They would face defeat before abandoning their beliefs.
āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāϏ āĻ¤ā§āϝāĻžāĻ— āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻžāϜāϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§‹āĻŽā§āĻ–āĻŋ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
05

āϏāĻŽā§āĻŽā§āϖ⧇, āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇

under the authority or judgment of a higher power or body
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He stood before the council to present his proposal.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻžāĻŦ āωāĻĒāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāĻĒāύ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāώāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
06

āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇, āϏāĻŽā§āĻŽā§āϖ⧇

in front of others for a performance, presentation, or similar purpose
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The orchestra performed before a large crowd.
āĻ…āĻ°ā§āϕ⧇āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§āϰāĻž āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻŦāĻĄāĻŧ āĻ­āĻŋāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
07

āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇, āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§‹āĻŽā§āĻ–āĻŋ

used to indicate confronting something directly, often in a challenging or significant way
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The council faced the challenge of improving the economy before them.
āĻĒāϰāĻŋāώāĻĻ āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨāύ⧀āϤāĻŋ āωāĻ¨ā§āύāϤ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻšā§āϝāĻžāϞ⧇āĻžā§āĻœā§‡āϰ āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§‹āĻŽā§āĻ–āĻŋ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
08

āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇, āϏāĻŽā§āĻŽā§āϖ⧇

in a position to be used
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The options are laid before you for decision.
āϏāĻŋāĻĻā§āϧāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ•āĻ˛ā§āĻĒāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻžāϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻ–āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
09

āφāϗ⧇, āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇

in anticipation of something that will occur later
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Great challenges lie before us in the next few months.
āĻĒāϰ⧇āϰ āĻ•āϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ• āĻŽāĻžāϏ āφāϗ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻŦāĻĄāĻŧ āĻšā§āϝāĻžāϞ⧇āĻžā§āϜ āϰāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
10

āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇, āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§‹āĻŽā§āĻ–āĻŋ

in relation to or with regard to a specific issue, subject, or moral consideration
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
His conduct was a matter of great importance before society.
āϤāĻžāϰ āφāϚāϰāĻŖ āϏāĻŽāĻžāϜ āĻāϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻ…āĻ¤ā§āϝāĻ¨ā§āϤ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
11

āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇, āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§‹āĻŽā§āĻ–āĻŋ

under the effect or control of a strong force or event
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The tree fell before the strength of the wind.
āĻ—āĻžāĻ›āϟāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāϤāĻžāϏ⧇āϰ āĻļāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻāϰ āϏāĻžāĻŽāύ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧ⧇ āϗ⧇āϞāĨ¤
12

āφāϗ⧇

prior to any subtractions, deductions, or changes
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The salary before tax is $4,000 per month.
āĻŸā§āϝāĻžāĻ•ā§āϏ āφāϗ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āϤāύ āĻŽāĻžāϏ⧇ $4,000āĨ¤
01

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

used to indicate that one event happens earlier than another event in time
before definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I will call you before I go to bed tonight.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āφāϜ āϰāĻžāϤ⧇ āϘ⧁āĻŽā§‹āϤ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āϤ⧋āĻŽāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻĢā§‹āύ āĻ•āϰāĻŦāĨ¤
02

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤ⧇

used to show that one action is preferred over another
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I would rather walk before I take the bus.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāϏ āύ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻšāĻžāρāϟāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻ›āĻ¨ā§āĻĻ āĻ•āϰāĻŦāĨ¤
03

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

used to show that something happens sooner or faster than expected
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The train will arrive before you even realize it.
āĻŸā§āϰ⧇āύāϟāĻŋ āφāĻĒāύāĻŋ āĻŦ⧁āĻāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇āχ āϚāϞ⧇ āφāϏāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
04

āφāϗ⧇, āϝāϤāĻ•ā§āώāĻŖ āύāĻž

used to express the time leading up to a certain event or action
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
It was n’t until the last moment before we could submit our project.
āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ•āĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āϜāĻŽāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻŽā§āĻšā§‚āĻ°ā§āϤ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāĻ¨ā§āϤ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ āύāĻžāĨ¤
05

āφāϗ⧇, āϝāĻžāϤ⧇ āύāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ

used to indicate that something is done to ensure that a particular situation does not occur
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Leave the door open before the dog escapes.
āϕ⧁āϕ⧁āϰ āĻĒāĻžāϞāĻžāύ⧋āϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻĻāϰāϜāĻž āĻ–ā§‹āϞāĻž āϰāĻžāϖ⧁āύāĨ¤
5.1

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

used to warn that something negative will happen if an action is not performed
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Finish your chores before I tell your parents!
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āϤ⧋āĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻŦāĻž-āĻŽāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻŦāϞāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āϤ⧋āĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰ⧋!
06

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

used to indicate that one thing must happen for another to be possible or to occur
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The team must practice before they can compete in the tournament.
āĻĻāϞāϕ⧇ āϟ⧁āĻ°ā§āύāĻžāĻŽā§‡āĻ¨ā§āĻŸā§‡ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϝ⧋āĻ—āĻŋāϤāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻ…āύ⧁āĻļā§€āϞāύ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
01

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŦ⧇

the earlier time or event
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The before of the meeting was filled with brief introductions.
āĻŽāĻŋāϟāĻŋāĻ‚āϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āφāϗ⧇ āϏāĻ‚āĻ•ā§āώāĻŋāĻĒā§āϤ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāϝāĻŧ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻ­āϰāĻž āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
02

āφāϗ⧇, āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻĨāĻŽāĻŋāĻ• āĻ…āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻž

an image, condition, or situation that shows the state prior to a specified treatment or change
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I prefer the befores in these makeover shows, as they often look more natural.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāχ āĻŽā§‡āĻ•āĻ“āĻ­āĻžāϰ āĻļā§‹āϤ⧇ āφāϗ⧇ āĻĒāĻ›āĻ¨ā§āĻĻ āĻ•āϰāĻŋ, āĻ•āĻžāϰāĻŖ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻļāχ āĻŦ⧇āĻļāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋāĻ• āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
LanGeek
āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒ āĻĄāĻžāωāύāϞ⧋āĻĄ āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ